Monthly Chapter Events

University of Toronto Schools (UTS) has been accepted into the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Mission 8 to the International Space Station.

UTS is the third school in Canada and the first high school in Ontario to participate in this program.

The SSEP program is a Science, Technology, Education and Mathematics initiative, promoting scientific innovation and research, the program gives participating communities the ability to design and propose real microgravity experiments to fly on the International Space Station. As part of the Flight Experimental Design Competition, UTS student teams- grade 9 students working in small groups along with senior students providing mentorship– will design microgravity flight experiments and submit well-crafted, formal proposals that will undergo a rigorous evaluation in a competitive setting. After a final decision on the top project, this experiment will be launched from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station to be performed simultaneously in space and on Earth.

CSS partnership with this program hopes to inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers. Participating in the SSEP program is costly, we want you to help UTS to get to space, the school has recently undertaken crowndfunding efforts by launching a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for the project, click here for details.

To support this initiative, make a pledge through the Kickstarter campaign, and/or make a donation directly through the CSS here. Be sure to include SSEP-8 in your message to us.

We hope you join us in the excitement of this out of this world opportunity!

For more information visit utsoniss.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

Did You Know?

Did you know that the Canadian Space Society is a registered charity? Cash or property donations to the Society are eligible for charitable donation receipt subject to the regulations of Canada Revenue Agency.

Your generous donations help the CSS in our principle objective to sponsor and promote the involvement of Canadians in the development of Space. Here are some examples of where your donations can help:

Assistance in defraying costs of registration and/or travel for students to attend space-related courses, conferences, or competitions.

Purchase of materials to support a public display of Canadian space technology at a museum.

Purchase of building materials and tools used for analogue space missions designed and run by high school students.

Provision of materials and awards for student space design competitions.

Bursaries for deserving students pursuing an education in a space-related field.

Note: the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Manitoba is a special contributor to the Winnipeg show, presenting striking scientific images of the cosmos professionally made by local astronomers. Dr Jayanne English will be leading a "Cosmos to Canvas" workshop related to this activity on 7 February (click here for registration; seating is limited).

Marc Fricker became president of the Canadian Space Society (CSS) on December 1, 2014. Marc talks about how he got involved with the CSS, what our mandate is, and what direction we’ll take over the next 2 years.

What lies ahead for the Canadian Space Society? Find out from our new president.

Q.How did you get involved with the CSS?

A. Following a military secondment to the Canadian Space Agency, I wanted to stay in touch with the space community in Canada. The CSS was a good option for me as there are chapters across the country wherever I was likely to be posted. I joined in 2008 and immediately began working on the local organizing committee for Summit 2009 in Kingston, Ontario.

Q.What is the Canadian Space Society all about?

A. The CSS is a grassroots advocacy group of space professionals and enthusiasts. We’ve promoted Canada’s role in robotic and human space exploration since 1983.

Although much of our work is through industry, government, and academia, we connect with the largest audience possible. We want to tell Canadians, and people outside of Canada, about our space activities over the past 50-plus years.